Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-29
Glimpses of the Centennial.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept.

while en- route northward, and take a
stroll on Broad street.
An army of working men are prepar-
ing for the great fete and another null
titude are looking on. Broad street is
about eight rods wide and the sidewalks
are about rod wide each, leaving about
one hundred feet Of roadway. Over the
sidewalks they are building the stands
from which to witness the parades. At
the curb stone they are eight to ten feet
high, and raising sharply, they slope
back to the buildings. In many cases
there are two tiers one over the other
like two balconies in theater. They
are all constructed under rigid inspec-
ton, of heavy solid timber, some for
chairs, and others only plain benches.
1t is a busy scene indeed-the same
work on each hand as far as we can see.
The commissioners stand is the largest,
is situated OH the north side of the City
Hall, and will easily seat three thousand
But let me try to describe the situation
for those who have not seen it.
Broad street lies north and south, five
or six miles in length, straight as an
arrow through the heart of the city.
About half way Market street intersects
1t at right angles, and the place where
they cross, or should cross, is the center
of great square covering four blocks
exactly in the center Of which stands
the City Hall-one of the largest and
finest buildings on this continent. Look
ing towards it on either Broad or Mark
ct streets, the great marble pile seems
to block the way and from the north or
south sides of it, the observer can see
miles of Broad street, stretching forth
until the street itself is lost in the per
spectiye In reality Broad and Market
streets divide and pass around the City
Hall like the avenues do around the
Capitol park at Madison.
On Thursday the civic procession will
pass the whole length of Broad street
and back again and on Friday the mill
tary will pass over nearly the same
route, making one short detour and
countermarching only halfway.
September 18th. We have another
opportunity to-day as we had yesterday
to see how the great work goes on. Our
time is limited, but we can see that the
streets are much more crowded, the
stands are nearly completed, the work
of decoration is we'll under way, and
many special provisions for the parades
have been provided. Perhaps the
neatest Of these are the telegraph sta
tons. They are generally constructed
on telegraph poles about twelve feet
from the ground-just seat and stand
large enough for an instrument and
pad of paper. When the line is to
move the operator will display a white
flag, and red one, when it is to stop.
President Cleveland will review the
military from balcony of Hotel Lafay-
cite. This is south of City Hall and on
the side opposite to the grand stand.
Offices are open everywhere for the
sale Of seats, but the prices are all too
high-nothing less than a dollar for very
poor seats anywhere within half mile
of the City Hall, and choice ones as
high as five dollars. The windows we
do not dare to price.
September 10Th. To-day is to witness
the great civic parade. We come with
In just, fourteen miles of seeing it, and
our gimpses therefore, is not a glimpse,
only an anticipation. Hower er, we
were on several incoming and out going
trains and thus had some opportunity to
observe tine tide Of travel. Railroads
centering at Philadelphia have never
before been taxed as they are now.
Trainmen say.that many are coming to
Philadelphia, to-day, who have not been
there since the great Centennial of 1776,
and may well believe it. One Of those
Chaps must have lit behind US this
morning. Our first intimation of the
fact was slap on the shoulder and the
question, -Say Mister! Are we in Della
ware? About five minutes after satisfy
ing the old gentleman on this point,
there came another slap and question:
Say Mister! How long before we get to
Pennsylvania? Another five minutes,
another slap and question, -Say Mister!
what's the last station in Delaware?
This time we tried to cover the whole
subject and satisfy him, but soon another
slap and question dispelled that idea,-
Say Mister! can we see the line when
we cross it? Another time to-day we
were on the front end of an outgoing
train. The cars were only half filed
with passengers and all the doors from
end to end were fastened open. When
again shall we see as we could then,
though over an eighth of a mile of pas
senger coaches all moving rapidly to-
gether The white space which marked
the last doorway seemed not larger than
a hand. Perhaps you can imagine how
it looked.
September 18th. To-day our glimpse
IL 9 SnlaDdid view We roach pbiladaI-